Purchase of Own Securities

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 19 March 2003,
shareholders granted the Company authority to purchase up to 35,565,104
ordinary shares.

The Company announces that it has today repurchased 2,225,000 ordinary shares
at a price of 79.5p. 2,225,000 ordinary shares have been purchased under the
current authority and the issued share capital after the cancellation of shares
repurchased will be 235,033,869.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares, a total shares have be repurchased 68,766,250.

1 October 2003